The Golden Book of Biology

A Charley Harper Retrospective, part IV

Around 1960 Charley began a major commission for Western Publishing – Gerald Ames and Rose Wyler’s the Giant Golden Book of Biology.1

The book, published in 1961 at the dawn of the New Frontier, was a roughly middle-school level introduction to biology. The 99-page text included
hundreds of individual gouache paintings and was by far Charley’s largest commission to date. In addition to his signature nature scenes, Charley illustrated
anatomy, cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, histology, the history of science, microbiology, physiology, even astrophysics.
Here is the TOC to give you an idea:

Any illustration in the book is worth showing here – even the most diagrammatic and scientific ones. Here is a small and somewhat representative sample:

In their review of the first edition, the Center for Children's books stated:

“An oversize book, profusely and handsomely illustrated. Some of the drawings, because of a stylized technique, are impressionistic rather than realistic,
but none of the illustrations give erroneous impressions. Because so much material is covered, no topic is explored deeply...The book gives, however, a broad and accurate
review of biological knowledge for one unacquainted with the field.” 2

Indeed, Charley admitted that he had to learn the subject while he was doing the illustrations, after all, he was an artist, not a scientist.
The book, however, is now regarded as a masterpiece – the quintessential mid-century children’s science text.
It is widely seen as his magnum illustratus and has been influential with two generations of illustrators and designers. Todd Oldham described it as
“...one of my favorite things I’ve ever had in my life,” and the illustrator Jacob Weinstein as “the world’s most attractive textbook.”

1. Ames, Gerald and Wyler, Rose. The Giant Golden Book of Biology: An Introduction to the Science of Life. New York: Golden Press, 1961 (3.95 USD trade, 3.99 USD library binding). A revised edition was published in 1967 and a second edition
in 1968.

The book was also published in a number of European countries, e.g:
Biologie: Das Leben, seine Entstehung, Entwicklung und Funktion. Zurich: Delphin Verlag, 1961; Les Merveilles De La Vie. Paris: Editions Des Deux Coqs D’or, 1962;
Biology – A Colourful Introduction to the Wonder of Life. Feltham, Middlesex: Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd, 1968; or En Gyllene Bok om Biologi. Stockholm: Folket i Bilds Forlag, 1968.
Note that every version included all of Harper’s illustrations.

Second edition cover, 1968

2. From the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 1962 Feb 15(6): 1. (online pdf).